Biodynamic, cider or wine?

This entry was posted on April 30, 2015 by Rob.

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Dear all

Biodynamic wine does divide opinion, even within the world of wine. Many well established merchants and importers don't trust the often called 'whacky' style and think some of the flavours are sometimes ‘dirty’. But we think on the contrary, the flavours are pure and natural and it is our palates that have been turned off the true flavour of wine in favour of a manipulated and contrived drink that although originates from grapes, very definitely has lost its sense of natural whilst becoming wine.

Some customers also think natural wines taste like Cider! Well, there are certainly some similarities and we would like to examine this a little further.......

The best Biodynamic Normandy Cider producers prize their soils, or 'Terroir' like a good 'Vigneron'. They macerate their pressed juice with the apple skins, ferment their juice with wild yeast in barrel and bottle for several months and some even age the ciders like a wine in bottle for several years. The fizz is created like Champagne, with a natural second fermentation in the bottle and there is even a 'degorgement', the process of removing the yeasty sludge from the top of the bottle. These fabulous nectars are far removed from the denatured, gassy abominations that masquerade under the cider name and are drunk in vast quantities in many a student’s union bar! Rather they are natural, vinous, structured, with wild, exotic flavours and complexities. Like a great wine!

Now these ciders taste superb but we think should be treated more like a wine than a long drink to glug back. They go very well with an apply dessert of even a pork dish or some washed rind cheese. They are so similar to some of our natural white wines that we have decided to do a bit of taste test.

Saturday June the 13th in store at Buon Vino from Midday onwards...

CIDER VS WINE!

We will taste blind in our tasting room a selection of Biodynamic Wines and Normandy Ciders from top Bio apple mongers Cyril Zang and Eric Bordelet (we are looking for a great organic English cider but haven't found one just yet!) and top winos Domain des Agrunelles, Julien Courtois and more, (not too mention some very good cheese as well). We will be joined by my friend and Biodynamic wine guru Frederic Grappe who will give us some expert background to both wines and ciders. This will be the tasting of all tastings and you may be quite surprised when we reveal what you are slurping! The event is free but please book as places with be limited! (rob@buonvino.co.uk or 01729 892902)

Lastly and briefly, this edition will likely be landing on your doorstep in early June so just a week to late to tell you about English wine week. During the week, we will have had plenty of lovely organic/biodynamic English wines on display but for the good people of Settle, we will put on another English wine tasting weekend on the 20th/21st June. Sparklers, reds and whites from beautiful natural vineyards on your own doorstep (well sort of, down south a bit!). English wine is now serious stuff and even i (always a sceptic) have been convinced by the fresh youthful flavours and crunchy acidity of 'Vin Anglais'. Come down and sample some of the best!